SoCal mountains get fresh snow from early winter storm

WRIGHTWOOD, Calif. (KABC) -- Wrightwood and Big Bear Lake received a fresh coat of snow as the early winter storm moved through Southern California.

Both resort towns saw a good dusting of fresh snow overnight and early Monday morning.

The latest round of cold weather brought the snow level down to 7,000 feet in the San Bernardino Mountains, and we could see between 5 and 10 inches of snow above that level.

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"Just a dusting, they're just a couple of inches, but it certainly looks like a winter wonderland up there. It's definitely winter time here in the mountains," said John McColly with Mountain High Ski Resort.

A winter weather advisory was in place for Ventura and Los Angeles county mountains, excluding the Santa Monica Range, but has since expired.

The mountains are expected to reach a high of 40 degrees with wind gusts of up to 45 mph on Monday.

Despite the good dusting of fresh snow, the resorts are not yet open to the public for skiing and snowboarding. Mountain High says they're aiming for sometime around Thanksgiving, though opening day will ultimately depend on the weather.

Wrightwood residents are hoping for snow as well to give the local economy a boost.

"We need it. We need it badly, and perfect for the holidays really. We're kicking off the Christmas season, especially at our Mountain Celebration on Friday and Saturday. Snow would just be the icing on the cake," said one local businesswoman.

The storm also brought much needed rain to most of the Southland over the weekend. The wet weather system moved out of the region by late Monday morning, leaving only spots of light lingering rain in some areas.

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